Pierce Brosnan and Wife Celebrate 22 Years Together — Photos of Them Shoulder to Shoulder through the Years

• Pierce Brosnan is one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors, having been cast in iconic roles like James Bond and Sam Carmichael.
• Unlike many celebrities, he is not married to someone in the industry and has been in a longstanding marriage.
• He found love again through Keely Shaye Smith after becoming a widower early on.

Pierce Brosnan had humble beginnings in Drogheda, County Louth, Ireland. He was the son of a nurse and a carpenter.

He moved to England at an early age, and because his dad left home when he was a child and only returned in his life years later, they never had a close relationship.

Brosnan's love for acting began in theatre. He enrolled in a 3-year course at the London Drama Centre and later worked at the York Theatre Royal.

Six months into the job, playwriter Tennessee Williams chose him to act in "The Red Devil Battery Sign." It jumpstarted his acting career, and he began doing plays around the United Kingdom.

In the 1990s, Brosnan shot to fame as James Bond in four movies: "GoldenEye," "Tomorrow Never Dies," "The World Is Not Enough," and "Die Another Day." Before his iconic James Bond role, he was married to Cassandra Harris for eleven years.

Harris' untimely death in 1991 left the actor raising three children on his own—Christopher and Charlotte, whom he took in as his own from Cassandra's first marriage, and their son, Sean.

Brosnan was left heartbroken by Harris' passing. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and passed away at the young age of 43.

His wife's cancer changed the course of his life forever. He was dealing with such a difficult death, and one that he still sees reflected "from time to time" in his children.

Three years after Harris' passing, Brosnan was out partying in Mexico when he met Keely Shaye Smith. She was an American model who later pursued a career in journalism as a TV correspondent.

Smith was swept away by Brosnan's charisma. Describing her first perception of the actor, she once said:

"He was captivating. Tall, dark, and handsome – everything that everybody would immediately be attracted to. He had this mischievous sparkle in his eyes. I thought: 'Wow. Wow!'"

A couple of days later, they went on their first date and ended up speaking until three in the morning. It was a romantic scene, with fireworks going off in the background as they sat under the stars holding hands.

Ultimately, Brosnan admitted that Smith "saved" him at a time when he was in a deep depression. This was going on at a time when his career was finally taking off, and even then, he would do anything to see her.

To make up for lost time while he was out filming around the world, Brosnan would purchase plane tickets for Smith to come and see him. "We just seemed to fit," he said of his second love.

A Timeline of Their Relationship

In 1995, a year after meeting Smith, Brosnan was cast as James Bond—a dream role of his since he was 10 years old and one of his late wife's wishes. Harris was in the 1981 Bond movie "For Your Eyes Only" as Countess Lisl von Schlaf, and she used to hope Pierce would one day become Bond too.

Brosnan and Smith began their public appearances together quite quickly. They were photographed in Sydney, Australia for the premiere of "GoldenEye."

One thing the lovely couple enjoyed doing together was traveling. They took trips to tropical beaches, which they continue to do whenever they have time.

In 1996, Brosnan and Smith showed off her growing baby bump at the "Michael Collins" Beverly Hills premiere. An official photo showed Brosnan cradling Smith's belly while she smiled for the camera.

By 1997, two years after Brosnan's first Bond movie came out, he and Smith welcomed their first child. They named him Dylan Thomas.

Dylan was no stranger to the spotlight, having had several photoshoots and public appearances during his younger years. His parents proudly continue to use some of these photos, especially for birthday greetings.

Their family grew even bigger in 2001 when Smith gave birth to their second son, Paris Beckett. In the same year, Brosnan and Smith made their union official by getting married.

The pair chose to wed in Ballintuber Abbey in Ireland, true to Brosnan's roots. Shortly after their wedding, the actor couldn't help but gush about his partner, saying:

"I found a great woman in Keely Shaye. Not if I searched a million times over would I find one as good."

The wedding was attended by Brosnan's children, who were all happy to see their father happy again. His late daughter Charlotte was a bridesmaid at the wedding, then she passed away of ovarian cancer in 2013, the same type of cancer that took her mom over a decade prior.

Despite such a successful Hollywood career, Brosnan has always put his family first. The proud father of five children always makes sure they know how it feels to be valued and loved.

He doesn't take his time with them for granted and makes the most out of every occasion together. However, he also makes sure to have some alone time with his wife, noting that the secret to their happy marriage is quality time together.

Through the years, the lovely couple has been spotted enjoying several activities. In 2004, they were photographed biking alongside one another in Los Angeles.

They also love traveling to Europe together, especially Paris. "I have a deep love and passion for Paris," the actor once revealed.

Throughout their decades together as a couple, Brosnan gladly watched his wife grow in front of his very eyes. And despite everything they've achieved together, they still have many dreams they wish to realize.

In 2017, they took a trip to Santa Barbara to look at houses and enjoy some wine together. They didn't need to drown themselves in good music, content with just speaking to one another.

He strongly believes that having a strong woman in his life makes him better, and for him, there's no one better than his wife.

In 2022, the Brosnans welcomed their fourth grandchild, Jaxxon Elija from their son Sean. Baby Jaxxon is Sean's second child after welcoming their daughter Marley May. They also have two older grandkids, Isabella and Lucas, from the actor's late daughter, Charlotte.

Despite Brosnan having a past love, Smith doesn't feel threatened by it in any way. She is a loving presence, and according to an insider, she has been the most supportive and wonderful addition to the actor's life.

Even after two decades together, the "Mamma Mia!" actor admits he still goes weak whenever his wife looks at him. "She has this strength that I wouldn't be able to live without," he gushed.

Brosnan has been alive long enough to be a married man for most of it, and he wouldn't have it any other way. He strongly believes that having a strong woman in his life makes him better, and for him, there's no one better than his wife.

This year, Brosnan and his lovely wife attended the prestigious Met Gala celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." They posed side-by-side, looking radiant and happy as they smiled for photos.

Their outing marked one of their first few public appearances in 2023. They are set to celebrate their 22nd wedding anniversary together this August and have recently celebrated the 29th anniversary of the time they first met.

In the same way that Brosnan has been devoted to his wife and children through the years, he is expected to continue doing so. Regardless of how busy his schedule gets, the actor always makes sure to put family above all, and that's what's made them so close.